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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bound · charge · ground · content · arm · root · object · bark

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. root — of a word
  3. bound — obliged
  4. charge — electricity
  5. bound — tied together
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. ground — a position
  8. ground — the earth
  9. bark — to shout
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. object — to protest
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. content — happy
  14. root — of a plant
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. charge — a price
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. content — the amount
  19. bound — certain
  20. charge — in control
  21. root — the cause
  22. object — an aim
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. object — a thing

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com